The National Retail Association (NRA) has called for greater police powers following the introduction of harsh penalties for assaults on retail workers.
New South Wales is now the second state to introduce tougher penalties, following South Australia’s introduction of similar laws last year.
NRA CEO Greg Griffith said the implementation of the penalties in South Australia coincided with effective resourcing in the policing sector, which NSW will also need to adopt.
“We understand that South Australian Police established a dedicated Retail Crime Intelligence Officer to identify and track the critical offenders,” Griffith said.
“This led to over 370 arrests of [repeat] offenders and over 1,000 convictions have been made.
“This shows the law does have a positive impact for retailers, creating safer working conditions and shopping environments. However, more power needs to be given to police to effectively act on violent individuals.”
To create a pathway for similar action in NSW, Griffith said retailers must increase their reporting of these incidents to the police.
“We must ensure the data and reporting mechanisms of incidences accurately reflect the rates of customer aggression,” he said.
“National Retail urges retailers to record and report all incidents to better protect themselves and the community.”
Meanwhile, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) welcomed the new laws, adding that NSW and SA are leading the way in legislating against the “growing prevalence” of retail staff abuse.
“We’ve seen a frightening escalation in retail crime, where it is now becoming a matter of life-or-death for workers simply trying to do their job,” ARA CEO Paul Zahra said.
“It is shocking that in recent months in different locations across the country, we’ve seen several retail workers stabbed – in addition to the broader issue of staff being harassed, intimidated, and physically assaulted.
“Actions speak louder than words, and we’re extremely pleased that the New South Wales Government has listened to our views and the needs of retail workers and is taking strong action to deter these violent incidents and keep retail staff safe.
“We’re mindful that the majority of customers are respectful and do the right thing, but the small minority are making retail a dangerous environment to work in.”
In March, the ARA paired with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) and called on state and federal jurisdictions across the country to implement similar reforms to South Australia.
Zahra hopes the NSW Government’s new legislation will serve as a precedent for other jurisdictions to follow.
“This is a powerful example of the progress that can be made when all stakeholders work together with government for positive change,” Zahra said. “The New South Wales and South Australian Governments have set a strong example – one we hope other governments across the country will adopt.”
Griffith added the issue of customer abuse is an issue the NRA takes “very seriously”.
“Legislating stronger penalties sends a clear message that violent and intimidating behaviour will not be tolerated in our stores,” he said.
“We have been working closely with police and justice representatives, as well as with a range of stakeholders throughout the retail industry to develop a response to this issue, and to better support retailers and their employees.”
The NRA has also called on all state and territories to introduce reform and consistency on retail crime nationwide.